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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: dip · bank · ground · bear · current · pit · march · roll

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. ground — crushed
  3. roll — a list
  4. bear — the animal
  5. current — of water
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. bank — for money
  8. march — music
  9. march — the month
  10. ground — a position
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. current — happening now
  13. march — the month
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. pit — in a race
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bear — the animal
  20. pit — a hole
  21. roll — a cake
  22. ground — the earth
  23. dip — to sink
  24. bank — for money

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com